College gets a visit from the bailiffs
DEBT COLLECTORS CALL AT SIXTH FORM AFTER ‘MISUNDERSTANDING’ OVER BILL
A TROUBLED sixth form battling financial woes was visited by debt collectors in a dispute over a utilities bill.
Bailiffs turned up at Connell Sixth Form College in Beswick last week to take payment or seize assets.
The visit from bailiffs was the latest incident in a turbulent two years at the sixth form.
In September it was announced Connell was to split from Bright Futures Educational Trust (BFET) over financial concerns.
A ‘cash flow crisis’ is said to be at the centre of Connell’s problems, with fears staff may not get paid in run up to Christmas.
Bright Futures confirmed the college was visited by bailiffs last week, but claim it was due to a ‘misunderstanding’ over a water bill.
A spokesman for Bright Futures Educational Trust said: “We can confirm that staff from a debt collecting agency visited Connell College.
“This related to a misunderstanding over a bill that had been sent for waste water services.
“The bill was, and is, being disputed. The utilities company is working with BFET to recalculate the bill and the relevant information has been sent to them so they can do this.
“This was a routine matter with no further implications, either for the trust or Connell.”
Bright Futures has faced uncertainties over its future due to cash shortfalls and low standards at several of its schools in Manchester, Wigan and Blackpool.
The trust’s financial problems were partly driven by low pupil numbers at Connell.
In March 2016, Bright Futures was served a financial notice by the Department for Education amid concerns over its financial position and the way it was being run. In September that year, Dame Dana Ross-Wawrzynski, former super-head guru, announced her retirement as chief executive of the trust. A new provider for Connell has not been announced.
Bright Futures ran nine schools and colleges across the North West, including five in Manchester, Wigan University Technical College (UTC), Altrincham Grammar School for Girls in Trafford, and two in Blackpool.
Cedar Mount secondary in Gorton was another school where concerns were raised over educational and financial standards.
Bright Futures rid itself of Wigan UTC after extremely low pupil numbers led to a huge financial shortfall.
Until September 2015 it was also closely involved with a 10th school – the Manchester Creative and Media Academy in Blackley.